Is It "Erb" or "Herb"?

There's always a debate going on in my head.  Are those nice those nice little aromatics I'm growing out in my backyard called "erbs" or "herbs".

You can giggle, but these are the kinds of things I find myself pondering.  I really do need something more to do with my time if this is what I'm pondering.

But here's the thing.  Martha Stewart calls them "herbs", with a hard "h", as in "This is my friend Herb".  The rest of the english speaking world calls them "erbs", without the "h" sound. You can bet that no one's ever called a guy named Herb, Erb

.

I'll bet you never thought about this before.

I've Wikipedia-ed this and I've called in my close personal friend Google.  I've listened to how the chefs on the Food Network pronounce it.  I've done my homework on the subject.  And you know what?  It doesn't matter.  Call them whatever you want.  What's the difference?  Everyone will know what you mean, with or without the hard "h" at the beginning.

Recipe:  Salmon with Green Herbs
(Ina Garten, 2010)


Ingredients:

1 (2- to 2 1/2-pound) skinless salmon fillet
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup good olive oil
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup minced scallions, white and green parts (4 scallions)
1/2 cup minced fresh dill
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
1/4 cup dry white wine
Lemon wedges, for serving

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Place the salmon fillet in a glass, ceramic, or stainless-steel roasting dish and season it generously with salt and pepper. Whisk together the olive oil and lemon juice and drizzle the mixture evenly over the salmon. Let it stand at room temperature for 15 minutes.

In a small bowl, stir together the scallions, dill, and parsley. Scatter the herb mixture over the salmon fillet, turning it so that both sides are generously coated with the green herbs. Pour the wine around the fish fillet.

Roast the salmon for 10 to 12 minutes, until almost cooked in the center at the thickest part. The center will be firm with just a line of uncooked salmon in the very center. (I peek by inserting the tip of a small knife.) Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Cut the salmon crosswise into serving pieces and serve hot with lemon wedges.